Supreme Court Permits Counting of Late Mail-in Ballots in States
WHO:
CBS News - The U.S. Supreme Court
Fox News - Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Chief Justice John Roberts, Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Brett Kavanaugh
NBC News - Republican National Committee (RNC)
WHAT:
Fox News - The Supreme Court's ruling allows mail-in ballots to be accepted if they arrive up to five days after Election Day.
NY Post - The ruling is considered a significant win for Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, specifically regarding Mississippi's law on mail-in ballots.
Fox News - Trump criticized the Supreme Court ruling allowing late mail-in ballots, stating, "Congress must pass the SAVE Act requiring voter ID and proof of citizenship."
NBC News - The Supreme Court's ruling allows elections officials to count mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day if they were postmarked beforehand, rejecting a challenge from the Republican National Committee.
IJR - The Supreme Court ruled that federal law permits states to count non-military mail-in ballots received after Election Day, in a 5-4 decision written by Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
Fox News - The Supreme Court's ruling allows for the counting of mail-in ballots that are postmarked by Election Day but arrive after, impacting 14 states, three U.S. territories, and Washington, D.C. if ballots received after Election Day were deemed invalid.
Fox News - Justice Barrett stated, "The electorate’s choice is made when voting is complete, not when ballots are received," emphasizing that the law does not specify a requirement for ballot receipt by Election Day.
Fox News - Justice Alito expressed concerns that counting late ballots could undermine public trust in election results, stating, "If ballots received after election day are added to the set of ballots that dictate the election’s outcome, the electorate’s choice does not occur on election day."
CBS News - The Supreme Court ruled that states can count mail ballots that are cast by Election Day but arrive later.
Fox News - The court ruled 5-4 in favor of a Mississippi law allowing mail-in ballots to be counted even if received after Election Day.
NBC News - Elections officials may count mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day if they were postmarked beforehand.
NY Post - The ruling is considered a significant win for Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
WHERE:
Fox News - Mississippi
WHEN:
Fox News - The ruling was made on a Monday, with implications for the upcoming midterm elections in 2026.
WHY:
Fox News - Justice Barrett stated that Election Day sets a deadline for voters to make a choice, but there is no standard for when ballots must be received to be valid.
Fox News - Alito expressed concerns that counting late ballots could undermine public trust in election results.
HOW:
Fox News - The majority opinion did not address concerns about public trust in election outcomes, stating that such arguments were outside the scope of the court's authority to rule on.
Fox News - The majority opinion held that the law does not specify a requirement for ballot receipt by Election Day, allowing for the counting of late-arriving ballots.
(UPDATED June 30, 2026 01:37 UTC)
The Supreme Court has ruled that mail-in ballots can be accepted if they arrive up to five days after Election Day. This decision is seen as a significant win for Republicans, particularly in relation to Mississippi's law on mail-in ballots, as the midterm elections approach. With this ruling, the landscape for voting in the upcoming elections is set to change.
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(UPDATED June 29, 2026 23:18 UTC)
Trump has criticized the Supreme Court ruling that permits late mail-in ballots, emphasizing the need for Congress to pass the SAVE Act, which would require voter ID and proof of citizenship. He made these remarks during a segment on Fox News. This statement reflects his ongoing focus on election integrity and voter identification measures.
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(UPDATED June 29, 2026 19:30 UTC)
The Supreme Court has ruled that elections officials can count mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day, as long as they are postmarked beforehand, rejecting a challenge from the Republican National Committee. This decision, which was made in a narrow 5-4 vote, was authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett and confirms that federal law allows states to include non-military mail-in ballots received after the election date. This ruling could have significant implications for upcoming elections and how mail-in voting is managed across the country.
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(UPDATED June 29, 2026 17:48 UTC)
The Supreme Court has ruled that mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day can be counted even if they arrive afterward, a decision that affects 14 states, three U.S. territories, and Washington, D.C. Justice Barrett emphasized that the electorate's choice is determined when voting is complete, not based on when ballots are received, while Justice Alito raised concerns about the potential erosion of public trust in election results due to counting late ballots. The majority opinion did not engage with these trust concerns, stating that such arguments fell outside the court's authority to address.
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(UPDATED June 29, 2026 16:17 UTC)
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states can count mail ballots that are cast by Election Day but arrive later, with a narrow 5-4 decision favoring a Mississippi law. This ruling allows elections officials to count mail-in ballots that are postmarked by Election Day, even if they arrive after that date, marking a significant win for Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Justice Amy Coney Barrett noted that while Election Day sets a deadline for voters, there is no standard for when ballots must be received to be considered valid, although Justice Samuel Alito raised concerns about the potential impact on public trust in election results.